ANECDOTES AND SELECTIONS. peace. "To die is gain." "And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom.” Lavenham. "We speak of the realms of the blest; But what must it be to be there? We speak of its freedom from sin ; F. H. P. A STRIKING CONFIRMATION OF SCRIPTURE.-One of the most interesting of the monuments of ancient Rome, is the triumphal arch erected to commemorate the conquest of Jerusalem, by Titus, who after the destruction of the temple made a triumphal march to Rome, bringing with him a long train of captive Jews and the spoils, among which were the sacred vessels of the temple. This procession is represented in the sculptures on the beautiful arch; which thus furnish an illustration of the Bible no where else to be found, these being the only representations that exist of the sacred vessels, the table of the showbread, the golden candlestick with its seven branches, and the silver trumpets used by the priests to proclaim the year of jubilee. The Roman Senate and people little thought, when erecting this monument to a deified emperor, that they were erecting a monument to the true God in the verification of prophecy and divine history. A recent traveller says, not one of the Jews of Rome, of whom there are about 6,000, will even at this day pass under the arch of Titus, although it spans one of the thoroughfares of the city; they shun it as a memorial of the subjugation of their nation, which has never been retrieved, and regard it with aversion. THE CUP OF COLD WATER.-A young Englishwoman was sent to France to be educated in a Huguenot (Protestant) school in Paris. A few evenings before the fatal massacre of St. Bartholomew's day, in 1572, she and some of her young companions were taking a walk in some part of the town where there were sentinels placed, perhaps on the walls; and you know that when a soldier is on guard he must not leave his post until he is relieved; that is, till another soldier comes to take his place. One of the soldiers, as the young ladies passed him, besought them to have the charity to bring him a little water, adding that he was very ill, and that it would be as much as his life was worth to go and fetch it himself. The ladies walked on, much offended at the man for presuming to speak to them, all but the young Englishwoman, whose compassion was moved, and who, leaving her party, procured some water, and brought it to the soldier. He begged her to tell him her name and place of abode; and this she did. When she rejoined her companions some blamed and others ridiculed her attention to a com ANECDOTES AND SELECTIONS. mon soldier; but they soon had reason to lament that they had not been equally compassionate, for the grateful soldier contrived to save the young Englishwoman on the night of that dreadful massacre, when all in the house in which she dwelt perished. THE SOUTH-SEA ISLANDERS.-One day, says Mr. Gill, a fine, tall, half-naked native was observed running up the pathway leading to the house, and his entrance commanded immediate silence. Seating himself cross-legged on the floor, and for a minute or two vigorously using his fan to cool himself, addressing Mr. Williams, he said, "Blessing on you, I am the messenger of the chief Jeminana." Blessing on you, my friend," replied Mr. Williams, "what is your message ?" "You promised that when you returned from Beritani you would bring a missionary for our part of the island. I am in haste; tell me, have you done so ?" Pointing to one of the young brethren, Mr. Williams signified with a nod that he had kept his word. "It is enough!" said the messenger, and bounding from the assembly with the swiftness of a hunted deer, tarried not till he had reached his distant village. Never was there a more literal fulfilment of the exclamation, "Behold! how beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth glad tidings of good things." There are now in the South-sea Islands 119 European missionaries; 45,929 communicants; 239,900 native Protestant population, and about 55,000 male and female scholars; less than fifty years ago these people were idolaters and cannibals. NEWSPAPERS AND THE SCRIPTURES.-The plan of the American Bible Society of publishing the Bible in the newspaper form for more general circulation, though novel at the present day, was partially adopted in past time by the printers of some of the English papers. When newspapers were first established they were quite destitute of advertisements, and nothing was more common than for newspapers to be published with a blank page. This was remedied, however, after a while, by publishing selections from the Scriptures; and many an old newspaper is now extant with a whole page copied from the Bible. Chapters from the New Testament were placed at the head of the column, and the space below was filled out with a psalm of the required length. Doubtless, in some quarters, even in this day, extracts from the Bible would be "news indeed." GIVING A LIFT.-Dr. Johnson, who carried a cripple on his back along Cheapside, has found a rival. The Countess of Ellesmere was in Worsley the other day, when she saw an old woman, named Margaret Berry, who had been to the coalpit for a barrowful of coals (about a hundredweight), and was then resting with her load. The noble countess, who is one of those truly noble women who delight in the "gentle luxury of doing good," stepped up to the poor woman, and, accosting her with the words, "You seem rather fatigued-I will give you a lift," forthwith took up the barrow and wheeled it a distance of at least a hundred and fifty yards. THE FIRESIDE. AN AGED FEMALE, and very deaf, recently visited a popular London preacher in his vestry, and told him that she had long desired to "help the cause;" and, in proof, began to uncover a cake, which she begged his acceptance of. She proceeded to say that she very much enjoyed his ministry, although she never heard a word that he said! Of course the minister felt pleased with this singular testimony to his usefulness. The Fireside. EDUCATION AT HOME. SCHOOLS may be, and are, very useful; but the best moral education is, after all, that which is given at home, in your own house, and by your own fireside; and parents, especially mothers, are the best teachers in the world. They are, depend upon it. Moral education is mainly the parents' province; and solemn indeed is their responsibility would that it were more acknowledged! Few are the parents who do not wish their children to grow up moral young men and women-respected and respectable. Now, valuable as school instruction may be, it is assuming too much to suppose that without the influence of good home-training, it is always sufficient to accomplish this. The home, therefore, must be a moral training institution. Little, however, can be done in the home moral training of our children, unless we succeed in making home attractive to them; they must thoroughly realise the spirit of the familiar lines "Home!-Home!-sweet Home! There's no place like Home!" Particularly does this apply to young people when verging upon maturity. It is then that they are in danger of contracting immoral acquaintances; and nothing is more likely than a "good home" to preserve them from that danger. Let young lads and lasses feel that when their day's toil is ended, a cordial welcome will meet them at home-kind words and a cheerful fireside-and much indeed will be done in the way of disarming vice of the attractiveness it presents to youth. Perhaps there are especial reasons why this should be looked to in relation to girls. If girls are led to love their parents' homes, they will make their own future homes loveable. The domestic happiness, as well as the tone of morality of the coming generation, is then in no small degree dependent upon ourselves. A CAUTION FOR MOTHERS. Mr. WAKELY, coroner for West Middlesex, lately held an inquest at Somerstown, on a child named Chalken, who died from the effects THE PENNY POST BOX. of a cup of hot tea upsetting over its arm, and the distressing occurrence was proved to be purely accidental. The coroner remarked that such cases should act as a caution to parents, for he had no doubt that he would have, as on previous occasions during the winter months, to hold about one hundred inquests on children who met with their deaths either through burns or scalds, owing to the want of a little more caution on the part of their guardians. It was astonishing what a little injury would produce death in a child; for only a short time back he held an inquest on a fine little boy who died from the effects of a scald on the chest not larger than a crown piece. The jury then recorded a verdict of accidental death, acquitting the poor parents of all culpable negligence in the matter. The Penny Post Box. ATTEMPTS TO DO GOOD IN VILLAGES. We always love to hear of every, even the most humble and feeble, attempt at doing good. Our blessed Lord has told us, for our encouragement, that he shall conduct the solemn proceedings of the last great day on the principle of rewarding those who have been "faithful over a few things," and instal such as "rulers over many things." We have received a letter from a friend, a labouring man, we believe, in a village in Herts, who gives us the following pleasing information. He says: "Some time since I told you of a plan I had adopted for doing a little good; and, as I think if others were to do so too in other villages great good might be the result, I will tell you something about it. You would be surprised if yon knew how many grownup persons in such places either cannot read at all, or are ignorant of the many good little publications, like your Pioneer, which are now issued at such a low price. The plan I adopted was, to open my own house for two evenings of the week to teach reading. We soon had plenty of scholars, both young men and fathers of families, who not only minded their lessons, but heartily joined in singing a hymn of praise at the close. Sometimes the best readers would read a piece out of the Pioneer, or some other magazine; and this gave me an opportunity of talking about such publications, and advising them to take one for themselves, for they all seemed interested with what was read. I would advise others to try this plan of doing good. Some who were once in Sabbath Schools have also come amongst us, in order to improve themselves. Another thing I ought to mention I am sure, and it is this: some of my cottage scholars have saved money by it, for here they have nothing to pay; but it is very likely that some of them, if they had not been here, would have found their way to a beer-shop!" FACTS, HINTS, GEMS, AND POETRY. Facts, Hints, Gems, and Poetry. Facts. METALLIC LIFE-BOATS.-The usefulness of these metallic boats, in cases of shipwreck, has been so well established and appreciated, that the government of the United States has stationed them along the whole line of sea and lake coasts, where they have been instrumental in saving many thousands of lives. It has also passed a law compelling every passenger ship to be provided with a certain proportion of these boats. We have, however, a still more valuable application of them in the "life-car." The life car is a kind of boat or chest, made of copper or iron, and closed over by a convex roof. A door or hatchway in the centre admits the passengers-a car generally holds about four or five. When the passengers are settled inside, the door is shut down, and bolted to its place, so as to prevent the surf from beating in upon the inmates. All inside is, of course, dark as night, and the terrified prisoner may almost think it better to be drowned in the open air, than run the risk of it closed in his little car; sors saved as above quoted-namely, 1000 out of 1500-have been, through the instrumentality of a life-car, drawn through the surf, after a communication has been effected with the stranded ship by means of the mortar and rocket apparatus. Hints. GOOD CONDUCT is the best proof of good professions, whether in religion or business; without it one is a sham, and the other a cheat. SOUND SLEEP is a great blessing. What a relief from the cares and struggles of life! Miserable is the man who, though on a bed of down, cannot enjoy "Tired Nature's sweet restorer, balmy sleep." CARE OF HEALTH.-How much pain, regret, and sorrow might be of health. To take care of money avoided, by timely and prudent care is well, but to take care of health is better. PRECIOUS TRUTHS are things which may be picked up everywhere, but you must stoop to get them. Even heavenly things cannot be secured without stooping as a little child to reach them. HAPPINESS AMONG MEN is more equally divided than some people imagine. One may have the means, but little of the thing-another may have much of the thing, but little of the means. but a few minutes relieves his mind and dissipates his terror. The car is drawn to the land, suspended by rings from a hawser, which has previously been stretched from the shore to the ship, by ropes, or rather lines attached to the two ends of the hawser. By means of these, the empty car is first drawn by the unfortunate passengers to the ship, and then, when freighted, drawn back by the people on the beach. A writer in the Life-boat Institution Journal, in an article on the Life- TIME FLIES FASTER as we grow boat Saving Benevolent Institution older that is, it seems to do so. of New York, remarks, "It will be We all go down into the vale much observed that two thirds of the per-faster than we climbed up the hill. FEAR NO MAN so much as thine own self. For if thou doest evil, thou canst never escape the reproach of thine own conscience. |